115-km B'pur-P'khemundi road lies incomplete

The State Government has failed to complete construction work of 115-km Brahmapur-Paralakhemundi road even after 30 years of work starting.According to information available, currently people of Ganjam, seeking to reach Paralakhemundi (the headquarters of Gajapati district) from Brahmapur for their work, go via Ichhapuram and Palasa crossing Andhra Pradesh even though an alternative route via Taptapani-Chandragiri-R Udayagiri is available.

Significantly, the distance of the existing alternative route from Brahmapur to Paralakhemundi via Taptapani-Chandragiri-R Udayagiri is only 176 km for which most of the vehicles prefer to go via Ichhapuram and Palasa route crossing Andhra Pradesh as the distance of the route is only 120 km. But the question remains is why a native of Ganjam will have to cross Andhra for reaching Paralakhemundi which is within the geographical limit of his own State. There has been a long public demand for construction of a new road to Paralakhemundi without touching Andhra Pradesh to benefit the pubic of more than a dozen villages located in adjoining areas.

Mention may be made that keeping the convenience and public perceptions in mind, administrative approval was reportedly accorded to a Government proposal during 1983-84 for construction of a new alternative road covering a distance of 176 km from Brahmapur to Paralakhemundi via lathi, Tamana, Chikiti, Kelua, Jarada and Tumba of Ganjam district and Jarang and Burkhat of Gajapati district, but the dream of the local public to have a road of their own is yet to become a reality.

According to sources, there is already a pucca PWD road of 54km available from Brahmapur to Jaradagada (Patrapur Block), while the construction work of only  9km road from Jarada to Tumba (Ganjam district border) at an estimated cost of Rs 10 crore is still under construction, said PWD (Division-1) Executive Engineer MRTripathy. Similarly, the construction work of the road from Paralakhemundi to Burkhut of Mahendragiri hill has been completed, sources said. 

According to Executive Engineer ( RD-PKD division) Bipra Pradhan, though the construction work of only 8 km road up to Ganjam border has been completed except bitumen spreading work, the same would be completed after monsoon, and thereafter the much- awaited Paralakhemundi-Brahmapur road via Kainpur and Chikiti would take a complete shape. Pradhan, however, claimed that there is already a metal road from Burkhut (Mahendragiri hill base) to Kainpur on which four-wheeler vehicles are currently plying, though Brahmapur-Paralakhemundi buses do not use the route.

Sources said the Maoists had set up their most favorite camps in Brahmapur-Paralakhemundi forest area during the1970s for which they were reportedly opposing to the construction of a road and good communication system in that region. Till 2000, Mahendragiri and Tumba hill region was under the control of the Maoists, as a result of which none of the contractors dared to take up the work. This could be one of the reasons for delay in completion of the road work from Brahmapur to Paralakhemundi.

It may be mentioned here that, the 29km road from Paralakhemundi to Kainpur and from Burkhat to Ganjam border were divided into two parts for convenience by the RD Department in 2006 and tender process was started for the work with an assurance by the then Principal Secretary of the RD Department to render all help and security to the concerned contractors. The contractors then agreed to participate in the tender process and came forward to execute the work, sources said. But unfortunately, the construction of metal road work was reportedly completed only after 8 years. Now, the public is hopeful that, after the black-topping work of the 115 km road between Brahmapur and Paralakhemundi is completed, Paralakhemundi-bound buses can start use it. As a result, Andhara Pradesh will no longer remain as an impediment for the tribal people of Gajpati and Ganjam districts to reach Paralakhemundi.

It may be recollected here that similar tardy progress of work on 41-km Brahmapur-Taptapani road in Ganjam district irked people as the Rs 82 crore project was taken up over six years ago in 2008 under a World Bank-funded project to improve the State highway, connecting Brahmapur with Taptapani, a tourist destination. The delay had escalated the project cost to Rs 87 crore, sources said. While some attributed the delay to hurdles in land acquisition, termination of contract and floating of fresh tender, others made the Government responsible.